Good lighting isn’t just about providing the right light for the right moment. It should add a hint of magic to your house. As is the case with many people, my first project was my own house. I designed and documented the lighting scheme, which was then included in the tender documentation produced by our architect, and priced into the quotes received. On site, the electricians had my scale plans to work from, making their job so much easier (which made them very happy!), and ensuring everything was right first time.

I’m not keen on visible light sources, which cause glare, so my design relied on reflected light. The resulting effects are at times magical, and the light is much softer. The key is putting the right light sources in the right places, which means thinking hard about them before any cables are installed. It’s much harder to get it right after moving in – putting a central pendant in each room, thinking you’ll come back to it later, just won’t work.

So here’s White House Light, providing lighting design consultancy for self builders and renovators.